What Maine Community Solar does

Maine Community Solar is a Portland, Maine-based enrollment and customer management company that operates as the consumer-facing arm of parent U.S. Community Solar. Founded in 2020, the company helps Maine residents, renters, and businesses subscribe to shares of local solar farms under Maine's Net Energy Billing program, with subscribers receiving virtual net metering credits on their utility bills at a guaranteed 15% discount versus the credit's face value. The company does not own or operate solar assets itself; instead it partners with a network of 60 Maine-based solar farms that produce 75 million+ kWh annually, while Maine Community Solar handles enrollment, education, and subscriber support through an online portal and a customer relations team. Its product suite includes the core residential subscription plus tailored modules for K-12 schools (offering 10% savings and free enrollment), restaurants ($3,000-$5,000 average annual savings with a 20-year guarantee), and craft breweries ($2,000-$6,000 in annual savings, distributed via an Allied Membership with the Maine Brewer's Guild). The company goes to market through a mix of online self-serve enrollment, scheduled phone consultations with energy specialists, door-to-door field outreach, community events (farmers markets, fairs, festivals), school and library educational presentations, and referral incentives, while operating under a recurring subscription revenue model that captures the spread between credit value received from solar farms and the discounted price paid by subscribers. It has served more than 5,000 households and hundreds of businesses across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest, and is supported by an ecosystem of partnerships including ReTreeUS for reforestation education and Saltwater Classroom for ocean conservation programming.

Name

Maine Community Solar

Legal name

U.S. Community Solar

Website

https://mainecommunitysolar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maine Community Solar is a Portland, Maine-based enrollment platform that connects residential and business customers in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest to local solar farms under Maine's Net Energy Billing program, earning a spread on virtual net metering credits at a guaranteed 15% subscriber discount.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Solar Subscription Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD)

Keywords

• Community solar subscriptions
• Virtual net metering
• Solar credit billing
• Renewable energy enrollment
• Utility bill savings

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Solar Credit Subscriptions: Subscribers pay for solar credits received on their utility bills at a guaranteed discount (typically 15% off the credit value). The company earns the difference between the credit value received from the solar farm and what subscribers pay. No upfront costs to join.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Maine Community Solar enrolls Maine residents, renters, and businesses into subscriptions for shares of local solar farms, delivering credits on their CMP or Versant utility bills at a guaranteed discount (typically 15%) with no upfront costs. The company handles customer education, enrollment, and account management while partner solar farm operators own and maintain the physical infrastructure generating the renewable energy credits.

Product overview

Maine Community Solar offers a suite of community solar subscription programs enabling Maine residents, renters, businesses, schools, restaurants, and breweries to subscribe to shares of local solar farms and receive credits on their utility bills. The core Community Solar Subscriptions product serves general consumers, while specialized modules address specific sectors including Community Solar for Schools, Community Solar for Restaurants, and Community Solar for Breweries. All offerings feature no upfront costs and guaranteed savings, supported by the Customer Care Portal for account management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Save 15% on electric bills (5-25% typically)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ReTreeUScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2021Partnership with ReTreeUS, a Maine non-profit, to support sustainability education and reforestation efforts. In 2021, partnered to plant a fruit orchard at Georgetown Central School in honor of Earth Day. ReTreeUS works with students on sustainable fruit tree harvesting education while Maine Community Solar provides funding and community support for environmental initiatives.
• Maine Brewer's GuildcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMaine Community Solar is an Allied Member of the Maine Brewer's Guild, offering community solar programs specifically designed for craft brewers. The partnership helps Maine breweries save money on energy costs while engaging environmentally conscious customers through sustainable business practices.
• Saltwater ClassroomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for ocean conservation efforts as part of Earth Month campaigns. Supports programs that reduce pollution and protect marine ecosystems in alignment with Maine's environmental goals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SunShare: Community solar developer and subscription operator serving multiple U.S. states. Overlaps directly on residential and SMB community solar enrollment and on credit-discount subscription mechanics.
• Solstice: Community solar subscription company (now part of ENGIE) that recruits residential and small commercial subscribers into local solar farms. Same customer-facing subscription economics, similar community-based acquisition model.
• Arcadia: National clean energy subscription platform that enrolls households and businesses into community solar projects and tracks utility bill savings. Directly comparable subscription model, virtual net metering UX, and multi-state expansion playbook.

Emerging players

• Nexamp: Community solar developer and operator that builds and manages the underlying solar farms. Cited in Maine Community Solar customer reviews as a billing/operations partner, and an emerging community solar competitor as it expands its own subscription offerings.
• Pivot Energy: Community solar developer focused on building subscription-based projects for utilities, municipalities, and customers across multiple states. Comparable asset-plus-subscriber model intersecting with Maine Community Solar's partner-farm model.

Broad incumbents

• ENGIE: Global utility and renewables incumbent that owns Solstice and operates community solar subscription businesses in multiple states. Provides competitive context as a large incumbent pursuing the same residential subscription value pool.
• NextEra Energy Resources: Largest U.S. renewables developer with significant community solar and utility-scale solar assets. Represents the scaled incumbent whose developer/operator footprint could compress Maine Community Solar's partner-farm economics.
• Clearway Community Solar: Subsidiary of Clearway Energy operating utility-scale and community solar assets with subscriber programs. Comparable community solar subscription offering as part of a broader renewable generation portfolio.

Others

• U.S. Community Solar: Parent entity of Maine Community Solar, operating the multi-state community solar subscription umbrella. Directly comparable subscription platform at the parent level, governing brand, partner farms, and expansion roadmap.
• EnergySage: Solar marketplace connecting consumers with installers and community solar providers. Adjacent comparison point for customer acquisition channels and community solar lead generation rather than direct subscription competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mainecommunitysolar
• Facebookfacebook.com/MaineCommunitySolar207
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maine-community-solar
• Instagraminstagram.com/mainecommunitysolar?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maine Community Solar